A methodological approach to national road

safety policiesRichard ALLSOP and Maurizio TIRA

ETSC Best in Europe Conference 2006

eSafety that matters

Learning with countries in the SEC Belt

ETSC Review in the context of:

• enlargement of the EU• ETSC’s SEC Belt project• wide disparity in levels

of risk to road users across the EU

• the shared responsibility of working towards the EU target to halve the number of deaths on the roads within a decade

Working Party for the Review

Maurizio Tira (Chairman)

Richard Allsop

Bernhard Biehl

Ilona Buttler

Patric Derweduwen

Rune Elvik

Dominique Fleury

Jaroslav Heinrich

Péter Holló

Klaus Machata

Jesús Monclus

Tomaž Pavčič

Antonio Avenoso

Findings of the Review are based upon:• historical background of road safety in the

SEC Belt countries• personal analyses of road safety policy in

four SEC Belt countries by working party members from those countries

• examples of good practice from within and outside the SEC Belt countries

• documented experience of the formulation and implementation of national road safety policies in EU Member States

Key findings of the Review:• checklist to help national decision-makers

and practitioners to reduce death and injury on their roads through road safety policy by

- taking into account the specific features of their particular country

– assessing their achievement so far in road safety policy and– identifying ways of making further progress

Key findings of the Review:

• a framework for national analysis of road safety problems on which to base development of an effective targeted national road safety programme to suit the prevailing circumstances in that country

• prerequisites for policy that is translated into action

Key findings of the Review:• the recommended strategic thinking and

action are vital for sustained longer-term reduction in death and injury on the roads

• but it will take time and should not become a substitute for action in the meantime

• every country can take known and affordable measures here and now to reduce death and injury quickly

• nothing the Review recommends should delay such action

• intended to help and encourage

• intended as suggestions and advice

• intended to be applied flexibly

• not a one size fits all prescription that can guarantee success

• but every item is based on successful experience and can help towards reducing death and injury on a country’s roads

Checklist for national road safety policies

Checklist for national road safety policies

Covers four phases of formulation and implementation of policy:

1 Adopting a road safety strategy

2 From strategy to plan of action

3 From plan to implementation and updating

4 Establishing and enhancing underpinning capabilities

1 Adopting a road safety strategy• Build political support and commitment• Build public and private sector awareness

and involvement• Consider safety holistically with social

inclusion, sustainability and mobility• Create a vision or philosophy for the safety

of the road transport system• Commit to a strategy for movement towards

the envisaged safer system

2 From strategy to plan of action• Keep under review the legal framework for

use of the roads• Treat risk of death or injury on the roads as

a public health problem• Analyse road safety problems from a

systemic perspective• Set challenging yet achievable quantitative

targets• Create a road safety action plan for timely

achievement of the targets

3 From plan to implementation and updating• Identify institutional roles clearly

• Choose measures scientifically

• Allocate responsibility for each measure close to the problem it addresses

• Secure enough government and other funding to make the targets achievable

• Establish transparent and trusted procedures for monitoring and evaluation

4 Establishing and enhancing underpinning capabilities• Effective enforcement of laws requiring safety-

related behaviour• Emergency response and trauma management to

mitigate injury in collisions• Accident and casualty data collected

systematically and accessible to users• Exposure data and performance indicators• Research to inform strategy and measures• Training for all relevant professional staff• Exchange of knowledge about best practice

Framework for national analysis of road safety problems

• Identify problems most important for the country and concentrate on those

• Recognise links between problems

• Analyse problems in terms of their various dimensions

• Watch for new problems emerging and some older problems declining

Dimensions of problem analysis• Magnitude – number of resulting accidents

and injuries• Severity – degree of resulting injury and

damage• Externality – which group of road users

injures which?• Complexity – number of risk factors

contributing to the problem• Inequity – disparity between risk and benefits

from the road use concerned

Dimensions of problem analysis

• Territoriality – geographical extent and distribution

• Dynamics – is the problem getting worse or getting better?

• Perception – how important is the problem seen to be?

• Amenability to treatment – what are the prospects of reducing the problem by taking road safety measures?

Prerequisites for policy that is translated into action

• Understanding of the circumstances in the country concerned

• Mobilisation of technical and organisational expertise

• Articulation of the problem• Generation of political will and commitment• Construction of a plan of action• Implementation and evaluation • Feedback into rearticulation of the problem

This strategic thinking and action is vital for the longer term – but it will take time• on no account should it become a substitute for

action in the meantime• every country can take known and affordable

measures here and now to reduce death and injury quickly

• sensible action today will help tomorrow’s strategy

• nothing the Review recommends should delay such action